Combined ruler and paper-cutter



(No Model.)

W. H. ATKINSON. COMBINED RULER AND PAPER CUTTER.

No. 445,009. Patented Jan. 20, 18-91.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM H. ATKINSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

COM BIN ED RU LER AND PAPER-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,009, dated January 20, 1891.

Application filed September 20, 1890- Serial No. 365,591. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatI, WILLIAM H. ATKINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Ruler and Paper-Gutter, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forminga part of the same.

This invention relates to combined rulers and paper-cutters, its object being to improve the construction of articles of this class.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of a combined ruler and paper-cutter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a crosssection of the same.

The article consists of two parts-a cylindrical or prismoidal portion 1, forming the ruler, and a blade extending outwardly from the body and having the concave portion 2 and the edge 3, which is bent downward at an angle to the concave portion and obliquely to the plane of support of the ruler and forms the blade proper, which is used as a paper cutter or tearer. The concave portion 2 is intended to be used for advertising purposes, and the edge 3 will preferably be provided with a scale, as shown in Fig. 1, both these features being common in this class of articles. The ruler 1 may also be provided upon its outer or ruling side with a scale of any form desired.

The article is preferably formed, as shown, by a single piece of sheet metal bent transversely to form a hollow cylindrical or prismoidal ruler, the blade being formed after the ruler is completed by curving the sheet metal outward and downward from the upper part of the ruler, the surface being made continuous by developing the curve of the cylinder into a curve of larger radius, which forms the concave portion 2 of the blade and extends to a point near the outer edge of the blade, at which point the sheet metal is bent sharply downward, forming the angular cutting-edge 3, previously described. If the blade be first formed, the cylindrical port-ion is formed by developing it outwardly from the rear edge of the blade. By either method of construe tion one side of the metal forms the entire scale and adve tising-surface of the ruler.

By the continuous curve of the portion 2 an unbroken advertising-surface is formed extending from the top of the cylinder 1 to the line at which the cutting-edge 3 commences, thus increasing largely the surface available for advertising and improving greatly the appearance of the ruler over those previously in use, in which the blade is bent 6o sharply outward from the cylinder and the advertising-space is broken by the bend. This concave portion 2 also forms a convenient means for moving the scale backward or forward over the table. the fingers being placed in the curved portion ofthe ruler, the sharp bend of the edge 3 allowing a pull upon the ruler.

By bending the edge 3 downward a better cutting or tearing edge is formed, the angle of the edge relatively to the paper being sharper than when the blade is curved ontward and downward from the cylinder to the paper. By bending the edge obliquely to the plane of support of the ruler a more convenient location of the scale is obtained, the division lines and figures inclining backward from the surface of the table upon which the ruler is used and being conveniently read by a person in front of the table. The bend of the edge 3 forms, also, a line of demarkation separatingthe advertising portion of the blade from the scale.

\Vhile I have shown and described my ruler and paper-cutter as preferably formed of a single piece of sheet metal, my invention is not to be thus limited, but covers, broadly, a combined ruler and paper-cutter of the form described and claimed, whether formed of one or more pieces, and independent of the special method by which it is constructed.

What I claim is- 1. The combined ruler and papencutter consisting of a cylindrical or prismoidal ruler and a blade having a concave part, the curve 5 of which is developed from the downward curve of the cylinder, and a cutting or tearing edge bent downward from the concave consisting of the cylindrical 0r prisnloidal witnesses.

part obliquely to the plane of support of the obliquely to the plane of support of the ruler, 1o ruler, substantially as described, substantially as described.

2. The combined ruler and paper-cutter In testimony whereof I have hereunto set formed of a single piece of sheet metal, and my hand in the presence of two subscribing ruler 1 and a blade having the concave part \VILLIAM H, ATKINSON. 2 developed from the downward curve of the Witnesses: cylinder and the scaled cutting or tearing O. J. SAWYER,

edge 3 bent downward from the concave part- J. J. KENNEDY. 

